Back to Where We Belong
by MaskedNightmare
Summary: Edited. Twenty years ago a grave mistake has made that has led to hard lives for an important group of children. When faced with death they are given the choice to correct that mistake. Will they be able to pay the final price? Can they? OCs! Slash! Het!
1. Chapter 1

I was going to give this fic up for adoption but just decided to edit and repost it! I kept most of everything the same except just finished the story!

Alex Wayne aka Jekyll looked frantically for his scattered team. He managed to make out their forms and cursed to himself "How did they manage to find us?" He looked up when Derek Kent aka Shade appeared at his side "Are there any injured?" He asked, desperate to get his team to safety before they could strike again.

Diana's house had been the last shelter they had had. Now she and the house were gone, burning in flames in the distance.

Shade looked at Jekyll "Everyone's stats are reading fine." He said as he looked down at his watch and pressed the buttons on it going through their team. "Miriam has an injury but her adrenaline is so high I can't see how wounded she is…we have to get her out of here."

Jekyll nodded "Alright." He found Brian or rather Merlin and nodded for him to mentally connect '_Tell everyone to move out…we can't stay here any longer Miriam is injured.'_ Merlin nodded and closed his eyes, a sign that he was concentrating before opening them and motioning Jekyll to a hill in the distance.

The team gathered together and Jekyll felt a heavy weight on his chest as he looked at the shape they were in. Their clothing was all in tatters from the weeks…months they had spent on the run. Miriam was cradled up to Amazon and he could see now that she had been injured on her back. Shade was near exhaustion but his face was filled with grim determination. Merlin looked tired as well but waited quietly for orders. Green Lantern was not so quiet and demanded "Where are we going now? That was the last safe place!" Her words echoed the despair that they all felt as she finished "She was the last one..."

They were all silent for a moment as they absorbed the fact that the last parental figure in their lives, one of the last and few they had been able to trust, was gone. The fact that she had died protecting them made the burden even harder to bear.

Before Jekyll could speak a white light appeared in the middle of their huddle. It started out small like a flame and then grew until it was a large figure of a woman hovering above them. "Children…" She said, her voice echoing around them "You have gone through great misfortune that was never meant to happen…none of this was destined…I will take you to a safe place where you can prevent this from happening. Be warned, if you accept you will never again return to this time. Time will be altered and it will be permanently warped if you cannot change what led to this day."

Shade narrowed his eyes at her and stood saying angrily "And who exactly are you to be offering us safety?" He looked around at the others gathered around and said "This is what happened because we trusted an adult! What makes you different?"

The woman's form hovered for a minute before she answered "I understand your anger young Derek Kent…you were betrayed…you all were…but trust me, I can help you change this if you accept this."

Jekyll stood next and looked at her levelly "You said we will never return to this time…will we die?"

The woman smiled down at him "Ahh young Alexander Wayne…no you will not die, alternate versions of you will continue where we leave this time."

Jekyll looked at the team surrounding him, there truly was nothing left for them here, no one left to protect them. He could hear the explosions coming faster towards them and looked to Merlin and Shade to see what their votes were for. Shade looked skeptical but shrugged his shoulders and said "It can't be much worse than this."

Jekyll looked to Merlin to see what he had to say and the other boy nodded "There is nothing left for us here." He said solemnly as he looked at the burning house in the distance, taking Miriam into his arms and healing the wound on her back as the decision was made.

Jekyll looked at the rest of his team and saw that they were nodding in agreement, however grim it was they knew that they had to trust this apparition. He turned to woman and said "Alright…take us to this safe place." He had hardly finished speaking when the woman smiled and her light grew to encase them all.

Justice League Earth Headquarters

Twenty Years Earlier

The Flash was buzzing around the Headquarters before stopping, holding a bag of chips he had taken from the kitchen, and leaned over Batman's shoulders "Hey do you have any games on this thing?"

The Batman looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes to show that he was not amused before turning his attention back to the screen "Nothing you would be interested in." He said dismissively, his fingers lazily stroking the keys. Suddenly red lights began to flash and Batman's speed on the keys increased as they moved furiously across the board.

Superman joined in and gently nudged the Flash aside so that he could see the computer screen better "What's happening? Are we being attacked?

The alarms had alerted the rest of the League, those who had not already been there arrived within minutes. Wonder Woman had been below and came up to the control room with Hawk Girl just as the Green Lantern arrived.

Batman looked grimly up at the screen as he explained what was happening "We're not being attacked…someone's trying to enter but none of the defenses are working…they'll be here momentarily."

As he finished speaking a bright white light appeared in the middle of the room and was quickly surrounded by the League as they prepared to defend their Headquarters and possibly the Earth as well. A soft voice came echoing out of the white light and said "Do not attack…we come in peace and are looking for shelter."

As the light faded several figures were able to be seen with a ghostly woman hovering above them. Superman took a step forward and motioned to the League to back off as he said "We welcome all of those who are looking for a safe place to rest…Who are you and where do you come from?"

Batman was silent as Superman welcomed the group. He was more jaded then their leader and wondered who these people were running from and if their enemies would follow them to the _formally _secured headquarters of the League.

Alex looked up and moved to stand in front of his team as a figure approached them. He was slightly dazed but his vision was quickly clearing. He looked back at his team and saw that they were recovering as well. "We are from Earth." He started, unsure if they were truly safe yet. When his vision cleared he looked up at the figure before him and his eyes widened in shock.

Derek was the next to recover and looked around him his eyes going wide as well before narrowing "You promised us to take us somewhere safe! What kind of trick is this?"

Miriam looked up weakly from Tiffany's arms and said "Where are we? Oh! Mommy and Daddy are here…have I died?"

Tiffany hushed her sister and said quietly "No…we're not dead…I don't know what's going on here." She looked up at the figure of the woman, her gentle tone hardening as she said "Where have you taken us?"

Theodora looked around as well and said "This is messed up…" as she rubbed her head. She looked at Alex and repeated "What the hell just happened?"

The woman smiled and said "To answer your question children it's not _where _I have taken you but rather _when. _ I told you there has been a grave mistake made in this time stream, to fix it I had to bring you to the year that it occurred." She turned to the adults in the room and said "Please be kind to these children." as she disappeared.

The Justice League stood stunned as they looked at the group of 'children' before them. The one who appeared to be the leader seemed startled when the woman left and looked around for her before motioning for two other boys to join him.

Their leader was one of the older teenagers in the small group. He had shoulder length wavy blond hair with bright blue eyes. He was slightly taller than the others but his height made his slender form look willowy and delicate. He moved to put himself in the center of the group as they convened.

The other two who joined him seemed to be about his age. One had shaggy dark hair and the same piercing blue eyes as the blond. His figure had much more muscle and his stance was more aggressive than the blond. The other one to join them was shorter than either of them and had long dark green hair with matching green nails and light green skin. The color of his skin set off his features and his milky white eyes.

Alex motioned for Derek and Brian to come over to him and Brian linked them into a mental conversation.

_'What should we do? This wasn't exactly what I was expecting'_ Alex started

_'We can only continue on the path that we have chosen, if we explain ourselves to them we will come to no harm.' _ Brian reasoned, he was correct, it was too late for them to change their minds and return.

_'We can't trust them! We've already seen what they are like! They're the reason we were in this trouble to start with!' _Derek finished angrily, and though justified his anger was they had realized that they had no choice.

Superman respected that obviously the young group before him was as confused as they were and allowed them to have a few moments to collect themselves. The three boys pulled apart and the blond came forward to introduce himself.

"I'm sorry we came here so suddenly…as the lady said we were in a great danger that was never meant to happen and we had to come back to make sure that it does not happen again." He stepped forward and held out his hand "I'm Alex…" He bit off saying his last name; it would only cause as much trouble in this time as it had in his. "I'm called Jekyll…you know like Jekyll and Hyde?" He said with a laugh.

Superman shook Alex's hand, he had noticed that the last name had been left out but did not press as he smiled down at the slender youth. "It doesn't matter, you're safe now and we can sort out the rest later. I'm Superman and they are…"

He didn't get to finish as Derek stepped forward and cut him off "We know who you all are. Superman…Batman…Wonder Woman…Hawk Girl…Green Lantern…and John…" He sneered at Superman as he said "We know who else you are too: Clark Kent…Bruce Wayne…Diana…Shayera Hol…John Stewart…and John J'onzz."

Superman stared at the dark haired boy in surprise and said "How could you…?"

Derek smirked and said "Because…Well you guys are so smart you'll figure it out after we introduce ourselves won't you?" Derek looked back when Alex put a firm hand on his shoulder and frowned but shrugged it off "You heard her we already changed the timeline… we might as well be _honest…Alex…_" He said pointedly and shook his head as Alex said nothing and pulled back. He turned his attention back to Superman and said "And by the way…I'm Derek Kent, also known as Shade."

The League looked at the dark haired boy with surprise at his announcement and then when they heard his last name looked at Superman with shock. Batman stepped forward and said "Who are the rest of you?" He was beginning to understand what had just happened and wanted them to confirm it.

Brian stepped forward and smiled at the League "I am Brian J'onnzz…known as Merlin" His cheeks turned a darker green "I was fascinated with his character in the Tales of Arthur…" He stepped back and motioned for the younger ones to introduce themselves.

The next one to step forward put her hands on her hips as she looked levelly at the adults before her. She wasn't as old as the boys but was at least thirteen, her skin was lightly tan and for her youth she had muscle already on her especially in her shoulders. Her hair was curly to her shoulders and was a rich dark brown that matched her eyes. In her hair were lighter brown highlights and several feathers that seemed to move intermittently "I'm Theodora Stewart." She flashed the green ring she wore on her middle finger and said "And I'm the Green Lantern." She looked behind her and motioned for the last two to step forward.

Tiffany, about as old as Theodora, picked up her sister and said "I am Tiffany West…but I'm called Amazon." She had bright copper hair that fell past her shoulders in neat waves. The color of her hair was highlighted by her pale skin, green eyes and freckles. She looked down at the young girl in her arms and said "Can you introduce yourself?"

The girl looked shyly way from her sister at the group in front of her. She had messy black hair that had been tried to be kept neat with two pigtails and her bright blue eyes looked around with hesitation. Softly she said "I-I'm…Miriam and…and…I'm FOUR!" She finished loudly as she held up a small hand with four fingers proudly held out.

The League was silent as they looked upon the children and finally the Flash said what they had all just realized "Holy crap…These are our kids!"

Thank you all so much for reading! More is coming soon and all will be explained (including who shagged who!) in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! If you have specific questions I'll answer them as much as I can if you PM me.

Derek smirked at the League after the Flash's brilliant deduction. "Hey maybe you guys are as smart as we were led to believe after all." His smirk then turned into a sneer as he said "I wonder what else about you is true."

Diana looked at the children before her in confusion before saying "Led to believe? Where are your parents? Why are you alone?"

Derek's expression softened when he saw Diana and he looked to Alex "Maybe he can explain in a way that won't offend you."

Alex nodded in Derek's direction. He realized that Derek was too angry at the moment to be careful about how he spoke. "Are parents are gone that was what left us in the situation that we must change." He was uncertain how to continue but was interrupted.

It seemed that Miriam's patience could hold out no longer as she pulled away from Tiffany's embrace and raced over to Diana "Mommy mommy! I thought you had died in the fire but you didn't! You're all better too!" She looked at the flash and her eyes grew big "And daddy is here too…It's a miracle!"

Diana was stunned for a minute before she gently picked up the little girl and said "You…are my daughter?" She looked at Wally with surprise but let him come closer to look at the little girl.

Tiffany stepped up to them, her eyes darting from her sister to her parents. "Yes…we're your daughters…" She bit her lip to keep from crying but failed when she ran and embraced Wally "I've missed you…" She said softly.

Seeing where this was going Bruce knew he would have to be the bad guy once again for the League "Excuse me…but we have no way to verify that what these children say is true…we don't know for a fact this isn't some sort of trick."

Several members of the team sent Bruce exasperated looks before looking to see what Clark had to say.

Clark looked at the situation carefully and said "We can first check their DNA…that will be the most basic way to prove what they say is true."

At the sound of this the children grew somber and Tiffany pulled Miriam away from her Mother. "I'm sorry." She said softly and sincerely "But we can't do that."

Bruce narrowed his eyes "And why not? If what you say is true then you have nothing to hide."

Derek faced Bruce and said "Except some of us do…" His glance towards Alex betrayed to whom he was referring.

Alex had moved off to the side and realized he had just been brought back into the conversation. He looked between the two groups and said somberly "Test the rest of them… what they say is true but I won't have my parentage revealed." _Not for as long as I can_, he mentally added.

This statement drew several confused looks but one by one Bruce took a sample of blood from each child. Though Derek showed resistance at first he consented to having his blood taken before going to speak to Alex quietly.

During this time the blood sped through Bruce's super computer and the results appeared up on the screen causing several different reactions throughout the team.

**Derek Kent**

Mother: Lois Lane

Father: Clark Kent

**Brian J'onzz**

Mother: Unknown

Father: John J'onzz

**Theodora Stewart**

Mother: Shayera Hol

Father: John Stewart

**Tiffany West**

Mother: Diana

Father: Wally West

**Miriam West**

Mother: Diana

Father: Wally West

Derek looked at Clark and said "Congratulations…you marry the woman that you've always wanted." He looked away from Clark and went back to stand over by Alex; where a heated conversation began to take place.

Brian looked up at John and stepped slowly towards his father looking him over and saying "You're different than I imagined."

John looked at Brian in confusion "I was not there?" he said softly. He had never expected to have another child…and to know that something had happened to take him away once again made strange emotions course through him.

Brian shrugged and said "It could not be helped…see? You didn't know." He closed his eyes and connected minds with his father so that he could see what words could not describe.

Afterwards John pulled away his face full of sorrow as he said "If there was any way to prevent it…"

Brian gave a little smile "That is why we are here, perhaps when we change the future our futures will be changed as well."

Theodora strode up to her parents and smiled "Wow so this is what you guys looked like when you were kicking ass! So cool!"

John exchanged glances with Shayera and said "Where did you learn to talk like that?" It felt strange to comment on a child's behavior, but since she was his he felt he had a right.

Theodora merely shook her head making her hair and feathers dance with the dismissive gesture as she said "From mom of course…" She laughed at their reactions and then, seeming unable to resist any more, ran forward and embraced them.

Miriam had pulled away from Tiffany as soon as the test results had come clear and raced back over to her mother and father "Why didn't you believe that we were yours?" She demanded angrily, large tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Tiffany stepped up behind her sister and put her hands on the little girl's shoulders "This is mom and dad in the past. They don't know about us yet okay? They probably haven't even realized they like each other in that way…"

Miriam seemed to consider what Tiffany was saying before she shook her head "No…No! They just need time to remember us…they will."

Her words seemed to make Tiffany even sadder as she took her sister by the shoulders and turned her to look her in the eyes "Miri…Daddy died before he could meet you remember? But now you can get to know him for real, not just stories."

Wally had been about to interrupt the girls when he heard what Tiffany had said "I…I die?" He looked at Diana in confusion as he said "I leave you alone with two children?"

Diana was still trying to understand how she had her children with Wally of all people but said firmly "I am more than capable of taking care of two children by myself."

Miriam nodded and said happily, temporarily distracted from the news her sister was trying to give her; and said "Yup mommy's a really good mommy! She helps take care of everyone when their parents have to go away! Her house was the safest of them all!"

The adults considered what the little girl was saying. They were beginning to realize that while these may be their children, something had prevented them from taking a large part in their lives. The question was…what had happened and could they stop it?

Over in the corner a different discussion was taking place. Derek had cornered Alex and demanded angrily "Why won't you tell them who you are? They're going to find out you know! Just like they do in the future…"

For the first time since their arrival Alex showed frustration and anger and said "Yes…and we saw how well that turned out didn't we? Someone died because of me! Lives got ruined…please…even if it's just for a little while let me have my peace."

Derek had nothing to say and shook his head "Fine…" He said softly but refused to move away.

Alex looked up "Aren't you going to give your father a piece of your mind?" He had a small smile on his face as he spoke, trying to bring back some humor.

Derek gave a harsh laugh and said "I've had more than enough of that man to last me a lifetime…I think I'll keep you company for awhile."

Looking at the two teenagers from a distance were Bruce and Clark. Clark was wondering how he had such a sullen child. Was he a bad parent? Had something happened? He wanted to ask, but he could tell that Derek wouldn't open up to him.

Bruce was looking at the two boys as well, though his attention was on the blond leader. What was he hiding? It seemed that whatever it was the entire team was aware of it, so then the secret was from the adults. He narrowed his eyes, though he understood these children had come here to change the future he still believed in caution. And from Alex's behavior he could tell that whatever it was could drastically affect the League if found out.

He determined that he would find out Alex's secret, if it was no danger to the League, but was rather personal he would keep it. If not…they deserved to know.

After a while the conversations dimmed down as the Justice League began to ask questions that their children weren't sure if they could answer. Alex looked up, as if sensing the needed him and came away from the window. He smiled at them and said "Derek is right…we've altered the time stream just by coming here… we should tell them everything we can, we have to prevent our future from happening."

Derek snorted and crossed his arms and said "So are we going to tell them _everything_ Alex…or just what you feel like sharing with them."

Alex narrowed his eyes, Derek had backed off but now it seemed he was pressing his advantage. "We're going to tell them everything _except _my parents. Understand?" It was worded gently, but it was an order. If any of the League wondered how the slender, delicate boy had become leader they were starting to understand.

Clark stepped forward "If this is going to be a long discussion we might as well get comfortable." He motioned to a large couch in the conference area that they all would fit.

Diana stepped forward and said "Let's see if they're hungry…they're barely dressed in rags and look like they haven't had anything decent to eat in weeks."

Hawk Girl nodded "We've proven that they are our children…they are our responsibility."

Miriam bounced happily "Yay! We're going to have dinner! Oh I wonder what mommy's going to cook!"  
Diana looked at the small girl in surprise and said "I don't cook…"

Tiffany smiled at her mother "In our time you do…you're really good at it too."

Diana merely gave a slow nod and said "Well I think for now we'll leave the cooking to someone who cooks well in _this _time."

Shortly John Stewart went to make a quick meal for everyone and they settled out in the conference room to talk.

The Justice League looked naturally to Alex to explain but he shook his head "I am one of the newer ones brought in…I think Tiffany might be able to give a more complete story than I can."

Tiffany smiled at her leader's vote of confidence and looked at her sister playing on her mother's lap for a moment before beginning. "Well…Mom always said that around the time Clark Kent and Lois Lane got married the League slowly began to splinter. She said they were getting to that time in their lives when there were younger heroes who could step up and take up the mantel…more and more of the League wanted to settle down and have a life outside of the cowl."

She seemed to think for a minute and looked at Alex as if to confirm something to which he nodded his head. She gave a small smile and continued "It was a few years before Miriam was born that the Government decided they couldn't risk having Heroes around anymore…except this time they didn't trust them to stay in retirement and instead hunted them down…exterminating them."

There were several responses of surprise as she continued "I won't give you too many details…but Bruce Wayne was the first to die, though his was from natural causes." When she said this she cast a look at Batman and he could see blame in her eyes though he didn't understand why. "Then John Stewart died in a work related accident…or that's what we thought for a long time until we figured out it had been made to look like an accident."

She took a deep breath "Then John just disappeared one day… and Shayera died in crossfire between a gang and the police. Then we found out that the gang were actually police under cover…it had been a set up."

She looked at Superman and shook her head as tears started to show in her eyes "I can't say what happened to you." She took another breath "Mom was starting to realize that all these 'accidents' were happening on purpose…but she didn't figure it out in time to save dad…he was captured and…and…we never saw him again."

Tears started coursing down her cheeks "As people started to die each member of the League had put someone else to take care of their children. Mom soon had a house full of us…except Alex and Derek…they came in later, and she died….she died when they started bombing around the house…she told us to leave and run…that she would be right behind us. But…but she didn't get out in time." She started crying and Alex came over to comfort her.

Alex knew that they would have time to fill in the details during their stay. However giving the League the basics was enough of a start for now. He looked up at the League and said "Diana had her suspicions that something had set off the government that resulted in their extermination of all heroes; but she was unable to figure out what that was."

Derek spoke up "In the past few years the government managed to turn all public opinion against heroes. We were considered a menace to society and there were eyes and ears everywhere looking for us. Our faces were plastered on wanted signs so we couldn't even leave the house. Diana was the only one who could because no one left knew her identity… We don't know how she was found… We didn't exactly have the time to figure it out."

Brian took his turn "I believe that Diana was correct, that something served as a catalyst that resulted in all of this happening. We also have the benefit of knowing that it happened in this year, we simply have to figure out what is was and stop it from happening at all costs."

Thank you so much for the support! I'm really glad that people are interested in this story! Please continue to enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Please continue to enjoy the story!

It had been several weeks since the children's arrival at the headquarters. Bruce suggested that everyone stay there for the time being until they could completely come to terms with the situation and think it through. When he had spoken he had glanced in Alex's direction and it was clear to both Derek and Alex that he had an ulterior motive.

Despite this the League had used the time to get to know their children and they in turn got to bask in being with their parents. Since most of them had been separated for years, Alex and Derek didn't voice their concerns.

Shayera and John were getting to know their little girl whom despite her attitude they found out just turned thirteen years old and was a constant source of energy and sound.

Diana and Wally too were spending most of their time with their girls. Miriam needed to constantly be in contact or eyesight of Diana and seemed fascinated with Wally. Tiffany was more interested in talking to her father about everything and anything. It was apparent that she had inherited his gift of gab but he didn't mind at all. In fact he was pleased to find that she found most of his jokes hilarious.

John and Brian spent their time quietly connecting by sharing their memories with each other. John had learned that despite his appearance Brian was actually the oldest in the group being twenty years old. He knew that his race had a tendency to appear young to humans but even he was concerned about his son's size. Though Brian answered all of his father's questions he had requested that he not look too closely at his childhood memories. The memories that John did see Brian was a happy content child. Though he noticed that there seemed to be a lack of his mother he honored Brian's request and did not press further.

This left Bruce and Clark in a frustrating position. Clark despite all of his attempts to get to know his son was only rebuffed and after a while it became openly obvious that rather than merely disliking his father Derek _despised _Clark and refused to talk to him more than necessary.

Bruce had used the situation as an excuse to quarantine everyone to the headquarters and hoped that during this time he would be able to deduce Alex's secret. He had his theories but unless he had some of the boy's DNA it was impossible to come up with anything conclusive.

He had reasoned that Alex was unwilling to share his parentage was because he was a part of some sort of scandal. Everyone in the League was neatly paired off; Bruce himself was unsurprised that he had no family in the future. He doubted he would ever be content with a purely civilian life like the others apparently had been.

He knew that sometimes the situations the League ran into their emotions ran high and there had been more than a few cases of rash decisions as a result. He wondered if Alex was a child born of a moment of passion…or an affair, and if he was who his possible parents could be. He had more than one feature in common with several members of the League, his height for example; another one was his eyes and his slender build.

Bruce sighed in frustration; he had so many possibilities but no way to test them. He laughed to himself the matter would be simpler if Alex showed any dominant genetic traits. However Bruce was the one of the two with such a trait and he had already concluded that Alex could not be his child. It was also impossible to think of Clark cheating on Lois. He sighed and turned his attention back to the headquarters defensive system. He would figure out the mystery of Alex later.

Derek had watched Bruce over the weeks and knew that he was watching Alex. He had warned their leader that Bruce would be the first to start probing at a mystery but Alex failed to heed him. He only wanted to keep his secret as long as possible and there was little for Derek to do but try to help Alex as much as he could.

He was actually grateful that he had Alex to focus on for the time being. It gave him something else to do than spend his time obviously avoiding Clark. He wished they could end the quarantine or some sort of disaster would strike, but he supposed that would be too convenient. If Clark kept up the 'concerned future parent' act too much longer Derek would be tempted to tell him just what a _wonderful _father he turned out to be.

Alex sensed that Derek was growing restless and signaled his team. They responded immediately and gathered around him as he said seriously, though there was a small smile on his face "Just because we are with our parents doesn't me we no longer have to watch our backs. We fought hard to be able to take care of ourselves and I won't let you guys go soft."

Derek's eyes brightened at the thought of training "Can we spar?" He asked eagerly, his expression changing from sullen to hopeful.

At this the rest of the team began to voice their disagreement "Come on Alex no sparring! No one can spar with Derek except you and you have to train the rest of us!" Theodora said accusingly as she narrowed her eyes at Derek. She trained hard to be the strongest girl, but because of their age and super strength Alex and Derek were the strongest two on the team.

Alex thought this over for a minute, trying to come to a decision the rest of the team would accept. His thinking was interrupted when John Stewart joined their conversation. "How bout you guys show us what you got? We can pair up your team against the League."

Alex turned to his team and saw that this was something they would be willing to try. He almost rolled his eyes at how predictable Derek could be as he was already eyeing Clark as his sparring partner. "Alright…" He knew that he wouldn't have to tell the League to hold back on the younger ones, and He, Derek and Brian were more than able to take care of themselves against the adults. After all they had done it before.

There was only a few minutes spent as the league was divided up amongst the 'children'. Derek immediately announced Clark was his sparring partner, much to his father's surprise and concern.

Diana said she would work with Miriam on her basic forms.

Theodora wanted to pin her Ring abilities against her father's, she was also interested to see if the same ring could work against itself.

Shayera offered to work with Tiffany and Theodora Wally was more than happy to oblige. He would never say it but he couldn't consider sparring against his own daughter.

Bruce had waited so that he didn't appear as part of the rush before quietly walking up to Alex and said "I would be interesting in sparring with you." He saw a strange emotion cross Alexander's expression but it disappeared quickly.

Derek had seen who Alex had gotten paired up with and for a moment debated giving Bruce a word of warning. In the end he shook his head and turned with a smirk to Clark. Alex would be able to take care of himself against the Bat; he had other things to focus on.

They moved down to the training room and they broke off into their pairs. Diana was working with Miriam in a quiet corner with plenty of padding while not very far away Theodora and Tiffany who were also given pads to work on were working with their adults.

Brian stood off passively to the side with John; he didn't have a taste for offensive action and so served as mainly a defensive force on the team. He worked on creating protective shields and John tried to take them down. John was impressed with his son's mental strength. The shields were enough to hold up under most ordinary circumstances, and with some more work they would hold up against nearly anything.

Farther away Derek and Alex were sparring with Clark and Bruce. Neither accepted pads saying they would merely get in the way and they did not need any coddling.

Alex and Bruce stood quietly for a moment studying each other before they began to move in a slow circle, each waiting for the other to make a move. Alex knew that the stalemate would not last for long, but he made it a rule never to make the first move if it could be helped. He liked to finish fights, not start them.

Over by Derek and Clark things got heated quickly. Clark's first mistake was to start coaching Derek as the fight began, telling him how to fix his stance and what he was doing wrong. Derek had been reminding himself that Alex wouldn't be happy if he took too much of his personal anger out on Clark. However if the man insisted on being condescending there was nothing he could do.

Alex noticed the fight out of the corner of his eye and wished that Clark hadn't tried to help. He knew that this Clark was different from the one that they knew, but it would strike a painful cord with Derek. Alex had to concentrate on his own fight when Bruce broke down and made the first move as he leapt into the air to get the element of surprise and the advantage of height on Alex.

The sparring continued on for about forty five minutes. By then Miriam was too tired to hold poses correctly and Diana told her to take a break and have some water. Theodora and Tiffany were joining her soon after with their own waters. Brian was next to join the resting group, he was not physically strained but rather mentally taxed. He had never had to hold his shields up for so long under such varying conditions. Their team specialized in getting out of tight spots quickly. With their opponents in the future they could never hope to finish a fight. They could only try to get away as quickly with as little damage as possible.

They watched as the fights between the last pairs heated up. Brian noted with interest that Bruce and Alex's fight seemed to get colder and colder with calculations happening on both sides. Derek's fight with Clark however seemed to be getting lost in the heat of battle and Derek was starting to show more force with his strikes and attacks. Brian frowned, questioning if it was wise to allow Derek to go up against his father so soon after they came from the future.

Alex looked away from Bruce for a split second and saw the look in Derek's face, he frowned, Derek was starting to lose it. Alex knew that Derek had a lot of rage against his father but he had thought he could keep it under control. He realized that if Clark had kept quiet Derek would have most likely kept his cool. Unfortunately the conversation that Clark was trying to have was not wise.

Clark frowned wondering where all this rage was coming from "Concentrate when you fight, you can't be distracted by your emotions or else you'll make a mistake… That's what opponents try to do is try to rile you up so that you don't think clearly."

Derek narrowed his eyes and growled "Don't you ever shut up?" His eyes began to glow with power he had not shown yet and Alex knew that he would have to step in.

Alex had been keeping pace with Bruce but when he saw Derek's eyes begin to glow he lost all his concentration and said "Derek no!" However this moment of distraction cost him. Bruce had been preparing for a surprise punch but the change in Alex's stance caused the punch land differently. Bruce would have pulled back but he had no time to stop his punch and he sent the slender leader flying.

Derek heard Alex warning him and stepped away from the fight. Alex was right; this wasn't _him_ at least not yet. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and his eyes slowly returned to normal just in time to see Alex land halfway across the room.

Bruce straightened and looked after Alex in concern. He hadn't meant to hit the boy that hard. He had been testing him and he seemed more than capable to take the punch. However there was an almost deathly silence after he hit him and Alex didn't move from where he had landed.

Miriam, Tiffany, Theodora, and Brian all gasped when they watched their leader fall and rushed forward only to stop as Derek signaled them. They held out their arms to stop the adults from going forward as well as they waited for Derek to give them the safety signal.

Derek stopped the concerned team from rushing forward and then turned to Bruce snarling "Where did you hit him?" He knew that Bruce wouldn't understand this tone, however considering what could happen he didn't have time to worry about his tone of voice. "You have to tell me quickly…_ Where did you hit him?_"

Derek was right Bruce didn't understand but he answered "I hit him on the chin, he moved too quickly for me to stop." It was as close to an apology as Bruce was going to get or was capable of. He looked over at Alex, curious what was going on "Why?"

Derek was going to answer when Alex slowly stood, his motions were jerky and disoriented as if he wasn't quite used to moving in his body yet. Derek saw this and his eyes when wide as he said "Well…fuck."

Alex's form turned and looked at the two separate groups that had formed; his bangs fell across his face casting it in shadow as he spoke. "Well well….it's been so long…I must say that I've dearly missed you all…" His tone was darker than normal and a small giggle followed the sentence as he looked up, revealing his face.

Alex didn't look like the slender almost dainty leader he had been when he arrived. His eyes were nearly slits as a crooked smile crossed his face. His eyes were dark almost black and all kindness and sanity seemed stripped from his expression. "Yes…It has been _so _long…"

Derek took a step forward and spoke quickly "Hyde…we were just sparing there's no reason for you to come out…no one is in danger here it was just a game." Despite how fast he spoke Derek managed to keep his tones calm and soothing.

Hyde cocked his head to the side and said "Oh is that so Shade? Then why are the dead ones here? Dead Dead….they're all dead aren't they? Well, no matter, I can kill them and make them stay dead wouldn't that be nice…" He laughed deeply before his eyes settled on Superman and his face turned from twisted joy to rage "_YOU."_

Hope you guys have enjoyed this!


	4. Chapter 4

I hope you guys enjoy the continuation of the story!

The League had gone silent when they saw the change in the young leader. It was clear that he was no longer the calm and collected one he had been…but had changed into something else entirely. As one they started to move forward as if to take care of him themselves when their children stopped them. As Derek had all of his attention focused on Hyde at the moment Brian explained.

"We cannot interrupt them…Derek has managed to talk Hyde into submission before…maybe he can do it again, but whatever happens we _cannot interfere._" Brian then turned his attention back to the situation. His gaze lingered on Superman and knew that the outcome would depend entirely on the actions of Batman and Superman.

Hyde laughed as he looked at all of them surrounding him, his voice was high pitched and demented as he finished laughing and asked "This is simply too wonderful…I will quite enjoy this opportunity that has been given to me…I will be sure not to waste it." He had hissed the last few words as once again his dark eyes settled on Superman.

Not one to back down from a challenge Superman stepped forward and narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what had happened to the young man but this wasn't him…this was someone else entirely and they were clearly expressing that they were a threat. That could not be ignored.

Once again Batman was not the one to jump into physical contact but analyzed the reactions that the rest of the young team were having to this situation, was this part of the young leader's secret? Did this connect to who his parents were? He recognized several of these traits that belonged to the Joker…was he a genetic creation or the result of force? Or perhaps he was just as mentally unstable as his old enemy.

When Superman stepped forward Hyde burst once more into his laughter and said "Ohhh he's challenging me…now how do you expect me to ignore this Derek? What words can you say that could even possibly persuade me to return to my mental confines and ignore this?"

Derek took a deep breath but did not change his focus from Hyde "I know that it's tempting trust me I do…but this isn't right, you came out because Jekyll got distracted by me. I got lost in the heat…I thought that it was him too but it's not…not yet, we might even prevent him from turning into that."

Hyde seemed thoughtful for a moment before he smiled slowly "But if we kill him now then we know for sure that the future will never happen…and better yet…I can spare Alex from the pain his life has brought him."

This stopped Superman, whatever happened in the future it seemed that he had not been on the right side of things…were they lying or did something inside of him change? Pushing that aside for now he returned to his usual diplomatic self. He decided that anger would not suit this enemy, certainly not when it was obvious that's what they wanted. So he asked "Why would you want to protect Alex…he's your other personality isn't he? Aren't you trapped because of him?"

Hyde looked darkly in Superman's direction as if offended that he had interrupted the conversation. Then a small dark smile curled his lips "Oh yes of course I want to protect Alex" He said slowly wrapping his arms around himself as his lashes fluttered close "It's so peculiar that I…I am the only one Alex ever had to protect him…such a sad statement isn't it? But alas… I don't know if Alex is a personality created to spare me the sanity of the world…or if I am a personality created to spare him the insanity of it? Such a strange situation…"

His dark eyes looked up at Superman "But that wouldn't have to be if we get rid of you…right now…he's been holding back, I know he has, he always does. When fighting Batman he only showed what wouldn't bring suspicion to him, he showed above average strength and speed, but that cost him…"

He shook his head and then raised a hand as he fired a laser at Superman, the super speed of his actions catching the League leader off guard and forcing him across the wall and crashing into a wall. Hyde started floating off of the ground as his eyes glowed with red light and said "Yes…always holding back…I wonder if any of you have guessed why."

Batman stepped forward, his mind needing to know the answer to the riddle of who exactly Alex was. "He's Superman's son isn't he…but he's not his official son."

Hyde broke out into a bright smile and returned to the ground as he went up to Batman "Good show! I knew that of all of them you would guess first! Of course you haven't guessed the whole story, but how could you? You don't know everything…you can't solve the mystery without all of the facts! Maybe I should help…"

Seeing that he could not be talked into submission Brian stepped away from the rest of the adults, hoping that they would stay in place and that the rest of their small team would keep them in place. "Hyde…"

At his softly spoken word Hyde turned sharply in Brian's direction and was quiet as he waited to see what the oldest of the team had to say.

"Hyde." Brian stepped forward holding up his hands to prove he wasn't a threat. Superman had come back from the surprise attack and seemed prepared to strike if they didn't end this quietly "You want to protect Alex right? You love him…you're the one whose always protected him, why would you reveal a secret you know would hurt him?"

Hyde cocked his head as he listened to Brian and said slowly "It's true…revealing it would cause my Alex much pain…but maybe it would be better for him… How do I decide?"

Brian and Derek moved forward as one to block Hyde away from Superman and Brian continued to talk "Please…it's too soon, after everything that's happened don't you think Alex would want some time? Time to pretend that his existence isn't the cause of endless pain?"

Hyde's expression softened and he looked at Derek, suddenly he didn't look so much insane as he looked strangely vulnerable and childlike "Would that be better?"

Derek nodded his head "Yes…it's better if Alex decided for himself, he doesn't trust you because of the last secret you revealed…maybe this will help him like you more…"

Hyde nodded and said "Alright…" He seemed sad but then his eyes narrowed again as he looked at Superman and hissed darkly "Touch him and you're mine." Then closed his eyes and slumped to the floor.

Finally with the threat of danger passed the rest of the young team rushed forward Tiffany and Miriam along with Theodora ran to their fallen leader's side. Brian had his eyes closed as he hovered his hand over Alex's body and Derek was looking at his watch and smiled in relief "Hyde is going back into his normal state…Alex is coming back."

Just as he said it was less than a minute when Alex slowly blinked and opened his eyes and looked up in confusion at his team before the growing bruise on his chin reminded him what happened. He shot straight up and looked between Derek and Brian with concern "What happened!"

Brian reached forward to steady his leader and Derek reassured him "He freaked when he saw Superman of course…but we were able to convince him now was not the time…" He bit his lip and finished "They know that Superman is your father…we couldn't stop him in time."

Alex sighed and looked down before nodding his head "I doubt there was anything you could have done…I'm impressed that you stopped him so swiftly." He smiled grimly at them before standing up and looking up at the adults, as he looked at them all and their varying expressions he wondered how he would even begin.

Bruce looked at the young leader and for the first time saw real doubt in his eyes, he knew that the rest of the League would demand answers. But it was clear that the young team knew how to handle him in that state…the only real threat it seemed to come from the adults themselves.

He stepped forward and looked at the rest of the team, his eyes narrowed through his hood "It's clear that Hyde results from some trauma brought on by a strike to the chin…we promised him that we would wait until you were willing to explain."

He was aware how strange this sounded coming from him. After all he was usually the one who was so adamant about security and safety. However, seeing the haunted look in Alex's eyes made him think they didn't have a right to force the leader into revealing his secrets. Besides, he had a new piece of the puzzle, Alex was indeed Clark's son…and at least Derek's half brother…what else there was could wait.

Superman looked like he was going to argue but when they saw the determined expressions on the protective team surrounding their leader. The parent's agreed that this was their children's battle and he knew that he could not convince them otherwise. "Fine…but he is not to spar until he gets some control."

Derek narrowed his eyes "We've spared before just fine, how is he supposed to practice fighting without getting hit on the chin if you won't let him? What right do you have?"

Clark was tired of this attitude from his progeny. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this treatment but whatever it was he hadn't done it _yet_ and thought it was unfair to be judged before the act he was guilty of even took place. "Because I'm your father and apparently his as well, I feel that does give me some right in your lives."

Derek looked at Superman shocked before his eyes darkened with anger "You fucking bastard… it seems it doesn't matter if it's the past or present you're still the asshole you always were!"

Derek's eyes began to glow with his anger and Alex was too weak to restrain him as he stormed forward "You think you know what you're talking about? You don't know shit!"

Brian realized that Alex could not stop Derek this time and used a small shield to stop Derek from approaching Superman as he said softly but firmly "Please…think of Alex, he has been through enough for today. I agree he will have to reveal his past soon…but now is not the time."

Derek growled in anger but heeded Brian's words and said "I'll carry him to his bed…" He took Alex's limp form from the team and took one last look at the adults "We'll talk soon…just not today." Before he left the training room.

As he left Miri broke the silence as she turned to Tiffany "I don't like it when Hyde comes out…why does he have to do that?"

Tiffany looked down at her sister and got on her knees to hug her close "I would explain it if I could… but it's Alex's secret…remember from his time before he came to Mom's house?"

Miriam suddenly seemed to realize what Tiffany was saying and nodded sadly "Maybe… maybe being around his dad will help?"

Tiffany sighed softly and stroked her fingers through her sister's hair "Maybe…"

Seeing that their sparring was done for the day it was decided that a quiet evening would be best though no one could deny that there was an undertone of tension that could not be ignored.

Behind all of this observing was Bruce who was thinking over everything that had been revealed that day. So Alex's father was Superman? Why did he not just say that he and Derek were brothers and lie? Of course there was the fact that he demanded all the children had to be tested…maybe that was why he hadn't bothered lying, what was the point of the secret he lied to protect was revealed?

Sighing he looked off into the direction that Derek and Alex had gone to their room. They shared a tight bond for half brothers and he was certain that Alex's past was responsible for part of if not all of that bond. In fact it almost seemed that whatever had happened in his past Alex held no one responsible but Derek had reacted as if the wrong had been done to _him _and that was where things became very interesting.

Perhaps he would learn more before the boy's revealed their past…

Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you all so much, please continue to enjoy this adventure.

The next morning Alex woke but continued to stare blankly at the ceiling of the room he shared with Derek. His half brother was awake and lying next to him sharing his view of the ceiling. Neither exchanged a word but they were aware that when they left the room they would be subjected to questioning looks if not outright demands for an explanation.

Finally they could no longer ignore the situation and they shared a glance before preparing to enter the world of the living for the day. Alex was the first to leave the room, followed a few minutes later by Derek.

Usually the young leader was energetic in the morning and interested in what the plans for the day were. However today his eyes expressed disinterest and he was lethargic. If not for the light of sanity in his eyes Bruce would have thought that it was Hyde due to the extreme contrast.

Breakfast was silent as everyone thought about how they should go about what had to happen. The consensus was that obviously whatever Alex was hiding had the potential to cause damage. While the young team was able to deal with it the League had decided that they had to know in order to pass their own judgment.

It was Miri who broke the barrier and turned to look at Alex "Is Hyde going to come out today, he really scared me yesterday…he seemed even worse than usual…" She shivered as she spoke and everyone found themselves holding their breath to see not only Alex's but also Derek's response to the question.

Derek remained quiet but Alex smiled warmly at her "I'm sorry he scared you, I should have warned Batman not to strike my chin, but how will I ever learn to fight and avoid getting hit there if I warn all of my opponents?" He stood from his seat and went down to the little girl's chair "But I promise that I'm going to do everything I can to stop it from happening again."

The League had been watching this whole exchange closely and knew that he truly meant it. It was hard to believe that such a valiant leader could have something like Hyde lurking inside of him. However most of the team seemed to content themselves in thinking that there was a dark side to every person. Some just had a more extreme case than others.

But one member of the team was of a different opinion. Batman had known that there was an important secret that Alex held, and he was right. Now he knew that Alex and Derek shared at least the same father. More of what Alex had said made sense. Something was still bothering him though; he had seen the dark expression on Alex's face when he realized that his father had been revealed.

There was more to this and the entire young team knew the rest of what he was hiding. There had to be something more. It was known that Alex was older than Derek. So the most probable situation was that Alex had been the result of some senseless fling before Clark decided to settle down with Lois Lane.

This also explained Derek's resentment to his father. He might have believed this scenario to be true if it wasn't for the fact that Derek showed equal distain for his mother as well as his father. SO there was more, but he was willing to wait. It seemed that it would be eventually revealed, there was no sense in making the young leader panic and do something rash

The breakfast table had descended into silence. He assumed that perhaps they were expecting him to demand answers to what had happened yesterday. But if they wanted to know then they would have to ask for themselves. He had other projects and questions he needed answers too and he would find out more information by waiting for it.

On the other side of the table was Superman who was studying Alex with new eyes. So this was also his son? He was relieved that he hadn't cheated on Lois. Alex had been born before Derek so hopefully before he had married her. The thought that he might have betrayed his wedding vows disturbed him, but he was certain he would do every effort to assure her she alone held his heart.

He held compassion for Alex. Born a bastard he wondered what kind of life his mother must have been able to give him. Did Derek hate him because Alex had a hard life? Did he not help support his oldest son? Was that the root of Derek's view of him?

It seemed as though Alex didn't hold him responsible, which Superman would be able to understand. Instead he had been more determined to hide the situation surrounding his birth. Did he mean to spare him of the guilt? Or was there something else?

He looked over to Batman who had a very pleased expression on his face. He had always compared Batman to a cat with a plate of cream when he found a solution to a problem. What had he discovered? Sometimes he wished he knew how that mind worked. However in all honesty it was probably better if he didn't…there were something that were better if they were not completely understood.

The tense silence was broken by a well placed alarm going off. The League turned as one to look at a large screen that brought up an image of Gotham under attack. The Joker it seemed was done with his 'vacation' at Arkham and was back to play.

Batman stood and the rest of the League joined him. He turned to look at them with a raised brow "Don't think I can handle him alone?" In truth he was looking forward to something physical to take his mind off of this rubix cube.

It seemed he wasn't the only one who wanted some action. Flash was the one who said what the rest of them were thinking "Ah come on we've been cooped up here for weeks! We're young we need action!"

Batman just stared at him for a moment before he moved his gaze pointedly to the children. "Oh…and what about our guests?"

It seemed that the Flash had an answer for this as well "It's perfect! We'll never find out what to stop by hanging out in here, and they could see us in action! Like bring your kid to work day!"

Batman fully expected to here speaking out against this idea but all that followed was a supportive silence. He stared incredulously at the rest of them "You want them to come with us?" There was nothing outside of his tone that was unusual… but there was a skeptical air about it.

Hawk Woman stood and stretched her wings "He has a point, what can we do from here?"

Diana was the next to remind them of the risk this idea carried "They have proven they can handle themselves that's true. I think we are safe enough leaving them alone while we handle this threat. But they are too obviously related to us once a person looks at them .It would be dangerous to have them revealed."

Superman agreed and Batman once again had faith in the sanity of the team. He shook his head and said "We'll leave them here where they can observe the fight and we shall return shortly."

He somewhat expected one of the children to argue with this assumption. However it seemed that as one they agreed it was better if they kept their identities as secret as possible. He then realized that it was perhaps because they were used to hiding themselves for safety.

He had a passing thought wondering what they would think of their opponents. If he knew the Joker than he wasn't very serious abut whatever mischief he was up to. He just like the attention after escaping once again. The Joker was craftier when he was up to real harm. He paused, realizing that the children had entirely different opponents. Their enemy had been the Government hunting them down, slowly killing their families and turning the country against them. To them this fight would seem like play.

It was true that Brian, Alex, and Derek could easily handle themselves in a reasonable battle. Even Theodora and Tiffany had proven that though they were young they were able to handle more than one should ad their age. Miriam was the only concern but it seemed as if the team was used to working with that handicap. If he was completely truthful, he didn't want them to come not only to protect their identities; but even more so because he didn't like to see children fighting.

They soon departed for Gotham and the children surrounded the screen to watch them fight. It was strange though… they had only heard a few stories of the legendary fights that their parents had fought…but they had never heard of a villain fighting with giant…though certainly dangerous toys. Their villains always used gun and explosive power.

As Alex watched he winced when he heard a familiar voice slither into his mind _"It's been so long since we've had a real fight… always holding back gets tiring doesn't it?"_

Alex subtly shook his head as if to dislodge the voice but he knew well enough by now that it would not be so simple to earn peace. His next attempt was to bit his lip, sometimes if he caused himself pain Hyde would leave him alone. Despite his behavior he did care about Alex's well being.

Derek watched Alex out of the corner of his eye. It was something they never had told the rest of their team. Times were too dangerous to allow any thoughts of doubt to slip into their minds. Even after they were able to get Alex back into control Hyde stayed active for days sometimes weeks afterwards. H was never able to take control but able to talk to Alex in his mind.

They watched the League fight but most of Alex's attention was on the Joker himself. He was such a strange villain. In fact he hardly seemed like a villain at all. Sure he caused damage and riled up the populace. Some people died but he didn't mean to kill them, it was accidental. Strange…the more Alex watched the more he realized that Joker's entire focus was centered on Batman. Something he had never known before.

Due to their close bond Derek was able to sense the focus of Alex's attention and wondered what had brought on this fascination. He then turned his attention to the rest of the team. Was coming to the past really the right thing? Would they be able to prevent their future from happening? They had been told that they would continue living despite anything that might change. Would this all be for the better?

It was a heavy burden he knew weighted on Alex's mind. Despite the fact they had all agreed to do this together Alex would hold himself responsible if it didn't turn out well… even though they had had no real choice but to come to this time. They would have died for certain otherwise.

In short order the League had finished the Joker's creations. He of course had disappeared before the League had had a chance to capture him. It was his standard M.O but it was clear that it still frustrated the team.

The League returned and after attending wound from the small scuffle settled in. Miriam rushed to her mother and father gushing about how impressive they were and asking rapidly many questions. Theodora, though in an even louder and rash way did the same to her parents. Tiffany had followed Miriam though she herself had never cared for battle much. Brian was of a similar mindset though his father had done some impressive phasing that he wondered if he would be able to do as well.

Only Derek and Alex stood to the side awkwardly with Superman. Batman was scanning information on his computer, trying to discover more about the new technology that the Joker had used during this fight.

Bruce was glad that he had a chance to fight. Whenever he battled against the Joker he had a chance to think about things. It almost was like meditating and answers would come to him as he tried to outsmart his opponent. However the answers that had come to him weren't about how to ruin the Joker's plan. A little seed had been planted. A possibility that he had ignored before. He held it firmly in his mind so that it would not be lost. What occurred to him would take time and consideration for him to fully understand.

Hope you're looking forward to the more that's going to come!


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks! Continue to enjoy!

The next few days that passed in the base were very tense. The League was wondering when they would be getting their answers about Hyde; and the Team was wondering when Alex would reveal the truth. It was Brian that began to put things in motion.

He waited until Alex was alone, something rare considering how close he and Derek were. Still he thought it would be best if this conversation was in private. "Alex? Do you have a moment?"

Alex turned away from the space window when he heard the quiet question and smiled warmly "Of course." He frowned in concern "What's wrong?"

Brian sat down next to Alex and paused, thinking carefully over what he was going to say. "Alex…I think that it's time to tell them the truth about your parents…"

Alex's eyes went wide. Had it been any other team member, even Derek, he would have rejected it immediately. However Brian rarely came forward with such a strong opinion. He swallowed his instinctive response and asked "What…why?" He could barely choke out the words.

Brian reached forward, he held Alex's hands gently in his own as he said "We have to think about the reason we are here Alex. We need to discover what happened this year that created our future. I know why you want to avoid telling them about your parents. It's very noble and I don't deny the sacrifices that you have had to give to protect your identity, both in this time and in ours. However we can't have their focus anywhere but on stopping our future…please Alex. I know that your heritage has brought you pain but you must tell them. You need to make this one last sacrifice."

Alex stared at Brian as he thought about his words. He knew that it was true, by hiding his past he was inadvertently distracting not only the League but his Team from discovering why they were here at all. He looked down and thought deeply. He was being selfish…Brian was right…he would have to tell the truth.

He nodded his head slowly "I understand…" He looked back up at Brian and gently squeezed the older green boy's hands as he said "Thank you for being honest with me."

Brian flushed lightly and said softly "I I would never ask you to do anything this painful unless I thought it was important."

A smile flashed across Alex's face as he said just as softly "I know."

The two gazed at each other a moment longer before Brian gently pulled his hands away "I think that you need time to contemplate how you will break the news."

A sigh escaped Alex's lips as he said "That I do…" He looked over to where Derek was standing and watching them "I need to talk with Derek about it too…it is not only my past that I am revealing."

He waved over his half brother as Brian gracefully gave them space and went over to make sure that both the Team and the League would give them space as they revealed who they truly were.

Despite his attitude Derek had never held it against Alex for wanting to hide his past. He understood just how kind their leader was and knew that he had done it not only to have some peace; but also to spare others of the guilt his story would reveal.

He sat down next to Alex and murmured "So it's time?"

The blond leader looked up and nodded "Where should we start?"

They're actions were not missed by the ever observant Bruce Wayne. He could feel that it was going to happen. Last night he had been unable to sleep by an idea he had gotten while fighting the Joker. It was impossible… He shook his head. He had not said his hypothesis out loud because it was too ridiculous…and terrifying. What if it was true?

It seemed that everyone in the base was able to feel the gathering storm and the day was a mainly quiet one. Everyone was waiting; some of them knew what they were waiting for…others didn't. Finally the time came as Derek and Alex left the corner they had been in for the better part of the day. Derek's expression was stony while Alex's seemed sorrowful as he said softly "I have something I would like to tell everyone…if we could all gather together that would be most convenient."

No one had to ask what Alex was going to say and they settled somewhat comfortably in the living room. The dining hall seemed too formal and this allowed the younger children to be near their parents. They knew what was going to be said… It was not a happy tale.

Derek and Alex sat together at the beginning of the circle and exchanged glances. Derek shrugged and said softly "We agreed that you might be able to tell this to them better…" Alex regretfully nodded his head and said "Alright."

He looked at his team and gave them a small smile before looking to the League. He sighed softly and almost hesitated…but knew that it was already too late. He frowned and said "I have spent most of my life researching my genetics as much as possible so that I could best understand what happened with my parents. There's a lot of painful things that I have to say so please…please let me finish completely before asking me questions…I don't know if I can start again if I stopped."

He clenched his fists and finally started "Kryptonian mating is very strange. It doesn't matter if the mates are attracted to each other, love each other, or even like each other. All that matters is that their genetics will create the most promising offspring possible. That's what happened with my parents. Their genetics had the opportunity to create what the Krypton genes recognized as an almost ideal offspring. My father…Superman… is the strongest man in the world, but his body is not designed for Earth so he has some limitations. Partnered with my other father…" Alex paused; the secret he had been keeping for so long was finally going to be revealed.

"My other father…B-Bruce Wayne was the smartest man in the world, very strong for a normal human with no superpowers. They worked together for years before they were what the Krypton genes recognized as their 'peak' before creating me. I was formed during a battle where both Superman and Batman spilled blood, their blood mingled in each other and the genes took their chance. Clark Kent was not able to carry a successful offspring, but Bruce Wayne could. It took him a few months to realize what had happened. He told Clark and they did as much research as they could. Bruce carried the child to term letting Robin take over as Batman as he hid from society so that not a word would escape about his 'condition.' He did not have to give birth; when the fetus was ready to be born it used the child's powers to disconnect from the carrier's body resulting in a clean and painless birth."

He looked to Derek who had taken his hand before continuing "As far as I have been able to find my father's did their best to make the arrangement work. Neither of my father's could have prevented their genes. My father Clark couldn't help coming from another world whose reproductive methods he had no knowledge of, and my father Bruce couldn't help being the best human to partner genes with."

"As I said as far as I know they made it work for a few months…that's when things began to change. I suppose it wasn't completely unexpected. Clark liked having a child, raising a family was something that he had always wanted to do. But he could never be out openly in public with us. To the press I was simply another adopted son of Bruce Wayne, however I was the heir to everything, so many assumed I was a bastard child off of one of his flings. Not so far from the truth I suppose."

"Anyways Clark decided that he wanted to start his own 'normal' family. There was never any love between my fathers. It was an agreement between the two of them to raise a child that they had not been prepared for. Clark eventually stopped coming around as he proposed and married Lois Lane."

"I know how difficult it must have been for my father Bruce… he had never wanted a family and he had thought he had done the right thing. He had taken his responsibilities as a parent seriously and stopped fighting crime so that I would always have him at home. I was starting to get a little older and I suppose he had started to like the idea of having a family. I don't know why I wasn't enough for him…maybe he did love my other father…I don't know. He started going out again and leaving me in the care of various maids and servants. I had everything I needed I was never in want of anything… well…perhaps my father's attention. I think he knew that because he gave us one last try."

"One night he took me to Clark's house. He answered the door and stood so that we couldn't see in and so that Lois couldn't see out. She was probably busy with her own son anyways. He wanted to know why we were there and Bruce said that even if we weren't a normal family we were still a family. I was still his son…"

Alex began to choke over his words and said "I was about four…and Clark looked at us, looked down at me and shook his head. He said that he didn't want to have anything to do with either of us. We were just a constant reminder of how abnormal he was and Lois made him feel like a normal man. Bruce tried one last time to make him reconsider but he pulled roughly away and accidently knocked his elbow against my chin sending me down to the ground. He didn't even turn around to see if I was alright…He turned his back on us and closed the door."

"Bruce continued to go out every night and go to his company every day. I watched him…waited for him to make time for me but the years just kept passing by. Then one day I think his body had just had enough…he collapsed of a heart attack in the kitchen. I found him that morning when I came down for breakfast. I was about thirteen."

Tears were flowing down Alex's cheeks "I went through the funeral like a ghost… I had all of his money, the home, servants, maids…but now I didn't have either of my fathers."

Derek's expression was closed off as he held Alex around his shoulders. "I suppose that was around the time that we met…"

Derek took a breath to keep himself emotionally distant. "I remember the morning that the paper said Bruce Wayne had died. Father rarely read the newspaper even though we had a subscription. I didn't know that my father used to be superman…my powers developed after I met Alex. He kept everything a secret from us. But I remember the expression on his face as he read the paper. He stared at the front page picture for almost an hour before tracing a figure in it with his finger before tossing it away."

"My father was obsessed with being normal. He wanted me to wear what the other kids were wearing. Take part in clubs that were popular, when I was kid he used to be very kind…but as I grew up…I don't know what happened…I guess he just got obsessed about being normal and forgot about his family." He shrugged and carefully keeping his eyes away from either Superman or Batman.

"I dug out the newspaper. I didn't understand why he was so interested in it. It was a picture of Bruce Wayne's funeral and the close up was of a young boy looking down in the coffin. The caption said 'What will happen to Alexander Wayne?'"

"I became fixated on why this seemed to move my Father. He became even more withdrawn and I saw him one night digging though a box as he drank brandy and cried. The next day when he left for work and mother was out I found it. Inside were pictures of the Justice League and Bruce Wayne or him holding a baby. It was easy to figure it out and so I went to Wayne Manor. I knew that Alex was my half brother."

Alex looked up realizing he could continue "We met…by that time I had dismissed all the servants because I couldn't stand their pity and hovering. I was finishing school through distance courses and was set to graduate early. When Derek arrived I knew exactly who he was…and we shared our past…"

Derek clenched a fist "Alex was abandoned by both of his parents for something that he couldn't help. My father didn't want me; he just wanted a family, a boy to be proud of, a pretty wife. He never cared about us unless there was an audience. He would lock himself up in his study when he was home and it was clear he didn't want us to disturb him. It was such a fake life."

For the first time pain flickered over Derek's expression. "Mother and I weren't really close, she had her career and never really had time for a child. Still I was closer to her than my father and I told her about Alexander Wayne and showed her father's box. I suppose…I suppose I should have realized what would happen."

"She freaked…she demanded to meet Alex and she started crying when she saw him. He was taking care of himself and doing a good job, but I guess she never knew that her ideal life came at the cost of a child's childhood. She went home and demanded Father to tell her everything. He did. He said that Alex didn't matter because he was just a child born of genetics. He wasn't wanted by either of his fathers and that he was obviously doing well."

Derek took a slow breath "I never really liked my mother. But she was still my mother…she was kind when she had time and made sure I had everything I needed. I know it was hard on her, having a busy career, a distant husband at home, and a child she didn't understand. We lived in a condo by then and all the reports say that she fell from the balcony…I say she jumped because she couldn't take it all."

Derek's fists became tighter "Father blamed me for showing her the box, for telling her about Alex. He became cold and more distant, neglectful. Finally I had enough of dealing with his crap and ran away. Alex took me in and I never looked back."

The League looked at the children in shock. How could this have happened? Why had this happened? Just when they thought they were finished Alex had cleaned his tears and said "Derek …Hyde needs to tell his story."

A pained expression crossed Derek's face but it seemed as if he understood. He raised his fist and punched Alex firmly on the jaw and then waited.

Now it was Hyde's turn.

Hope you guys are enjoying the story! The next chapter will be out soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks you guys for all of the support! Please continue to enjoy the story!

Hyde's characteristics appeared slowly on Alex's face. He frowned as he looked at the surrounding group. He looked stoically at the tearful or guarded expressions that met him and smirked "So he's told you."

He looked over at Derek who nodded in order to confirm. "Yes he's told them…but he wanted you to tell your story as well…" Derek's tone showed that he didn't approve of this idea, but that he understood it.

For once Hyde seemed almost sane as he looked back at the group, taking note that their Team was there as well. "And are we telling them _everything_?" He asked curiously.

The dark haired brother frowned and said "Yes of course we're telling them everything, there's no point in keeping this a secret any longer."

Finally Hyde's twisted smile revealed his dark joy as he said "Lovely…"

He paused as he thought about what he was going to say. He almost seemed as if he didn't know how to start. He folded his hands carefully in front of him as he studied his entwined fingers before slowly starting. "I had existed in Alex's mind far longer than he realized."

He took a breath, knowing that Alex was listening. And that this would cause him some pain as he might not be aware of all that had taken place. "I started as a thought in the back of his mind when he came home with Bruce Wayne one day and found Clark Kent gone."

"He wondered why he would do that. Why would his own father abandon him? He had always as said that he loved him that he was a precious child. For him to abandon that child didn't make any _sense_." Hyde shook his head "That's where it all started."

"Bruce tried; he really did, to make up for Clark's absence. However Alex as you have found is not like other children. He knew that something was wrong, and that he was at the center of it. Bruce slowly stopped trying. His own pain made it hard for him to handle a small child who constantly needed love. Love was something foreign to him after all. So he returned to what was familiar to him. Logic."

Hyde chuckled "I doubt he ever realized the harm he was doing in raising a child in such a way. Day after day whenever Alexander had a question for him, told him an idea, or even said a silly story. He would point out the logical flaws, ask for reasons and question them when Alex gave them. He was four. My place in his mind was starting to grow and gain strength."

"He was such a lonely child. Bruce soon was at work during the day and dispensing justice on the streets at night. Alexander was left in the dutiful, but impersonal care of maids. He needed someone. He needed me."

A happy look crossed Hyde's face then. This happiness was not rooted in insanity or sadistic pain. It was pure happiness. "Slowly I became my own personality. He would talk to me about his problems. Or ask me questions when he didn't understand something. I knew as much as he did, but since he was taught to only accept logic I could give him an illogical answer. I think that was our happiest time."

His face darkened. "Then Bruce realized that something was not quite right with Alex. He thought that he was too quite. That he didn't spend enough time with others, though he wasn't one to talk. In his heart he knew that this was because of the fact that one of his fathers was missing. So Bruce gathered the strength together to face Clark and went there one last time."

Hyde looked up directly at Superman, his eyes narrowed showing that he placed all blame solely on him. "He didn't even let them into the house. He told them exactly what he thought of them. What he thought of Alex. The very same child that he had once called so precious. Then he turned to leave, accidently knocking Alex down on his chin and didn't even turn around."

"That was when I could no longer take this. He had gone too far. Alex was all I had…and I was all he had. He couldn't take this…he couldn't handle being so coldly pushed aside. He retreated and I stepped forward."

He laughed softly "Bruce never even noticed. That seemed to be his limit as well. He left Alex that night and went back onto the streets. He never again tried to make them a normal family. He couldn't fight his own demons and so decided to give into them."

He shook his head sadly "Once again we were alone…so alone."

He was silent for a moment before he started again slowly. "Our bond strengthened during this time. It solidified. He at turns seemed to love and hate me. We still talk sometimes…and I think he still has those mixed emotions for me. He loves me because I have always been there for him…I have always been what he needed. I think he hates me because I can do what he can't…I can be who he can't."

The League looked on in stunned silence as Hyde finished his story. Hyde turned to look at Superman as he said "You broke something in him. That's why I hate you. That night that you turned him away you took something from him that I've never been able to fix."

Derek sensed that this was as much as they could all take today and turned to Hyde "Would you mind letting Alex back? This was a lot to go through today…"

Hyde frowned, he was unused to being asked to go back. He studied Derek for a moment before adding "There's something that I didn't say. He needed me until he met you. At first I hated you almost as much as I hated your father because you were taking him away from me. But then I realized that you could protect him in ways that I couldn't. You could hug him when he needed it, you could play games like tag with him… that's why I always listen to you." With this last truth revealed he left, and Alex fell limply against Derek. It seemed that everything had been too much for him.

Derek put his arm around Alexander's shoulders and said "You know are story now. There's nothing we can do to change our past. But we came here to change your future…maybe…maybe while we're here the versions of us that continue in the future will have a better life than we did. A happier one."

There was silence all around them. This was hard for any of them to take. For many of them the idealistic future that they had been fighting for all along got demented and twisted. They didn't understand how this could be possible. How this could happen. All of it was so wrong, and yet it had happened. Now that they knew the whole truth…it was worse than they had ever imagined.

Everyone found themselves drifting away. Derek took Alex back to his room to get some rest. Most of the children spent the rest of the time with their parents. No one was talking much; most of them were lost in their own thoughts.

There was one line of thought that was very particular that was very interesting. They were thinking about how the truth was all finally coming out. He was very relieved. He knew what went on in people's minds. He didn't mean to pry it just went along with his abilities. Since he didn't want to invade that privacy he didn't tell anyone that they knew their secrets.

That was something that reassured him. He was the secret keeper. He knew what everyone else was hiding; no one knew what he was hiding. That was his heaviest burden he carried. He had known for a while that he had to tell them. It was the whole reason that they were here. It was unfair that he was grateful that the mystery behind Derek, Alex, and Hyde had covered the fact that he knew.

Now he was faced with ending this all, with preventing all of this misery from happening. It was his choice. His decision. He knew how hard it was for Alex to hold the truth inside of him. He knew because he was doing the exact same thing. How Alex had managed to carry it he would never know. He had carried so long even before they had come to this time. His brother and his other personality were his only other supports.

He was having a hard time holding this secret for the time that they had been here. He had no support. He would have to tell them all soon. That would be the only way to make this all go away.

Hope you guys are enjoying the story! It all comes to ahead in the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8 End

Thanks you all so much for your support and patience for this story! Sadly this will complete the story and finally solve the most important question. Why were they brought back to this time?

Milky white eyes stared aimlessly at the ceiling. He knew that he had pushed Alex to fully reveal his past out of complete selfishness. He knew that Alex had known too and accepted it. He was always grateful for Alex…his deep feelings for the young leader course with emotions that none but himself knew. Except for his father. He had never been around another telepath before and so his secrets were revealed before he was ready.

Of course his father respected his privacy and didn't share what he had found. Brian was actually grateful for this experience because when he gained a _true _secret, one that he absolutely needed to keep he knew how to hide it.

His gaze was still locked on the ceiling when his father came. Their bonding had been quiet. Mainly an exchanging of memories and emotions until they knew their inner selves. He could often feel his father's curiosity at why he had been absent during Brian's childhood. Brian knew that his father was giving him time. Perhaps he was hopeful that after all of Alex's dark secrets were revealed that he would feel the need to do so as well.

However what motivated him to reveal his carefully kept secret wasn't Alex's bravery…but rather necessity. If he didn't reveal the secret than them coming here would be in vain. He sighed and turned to his father. "I have something to tell you."

Over in another room not so far away Alex too was laying listlessly in his bed. Though unlike usual his mind was not doing much of anything. It was a dull buzz that was going on, he couldn't seem to focus on more than one thought. He had no energy after last night and even Hyde knew better than to push him this morning.

He turned and curled on his side. His mind was going over and over all that had been said yesterday. It was amazing how much he hadn't known about himself. Though he supposed he had known some of it but had chosen to ignore it. He closed his eyes and tried not to cry. How could he be so messed up? He had never thought of himself in that way, but how could he think of anything else after what yesterday revealed?

He didn't move as the door opened. There was only one person who would enter without permission. Derek had never needed permission from him. They were too close for that. If Derek wanted at any time Alex would have handed over leadership to him. However it seemed that Derek knew that Alex was best suited for the job of leader, and was content with his role as pain in the ass second.

"Are you going to come out at all today?" Derek asked softly. It was rare that Alex would get into a 'mood'. However given all that had happened Derek was more than willing to respect it.

Alex shrugged as he turned to look at his brother. He looked away briefly and then turned his attention back to Derek standing in the frame "I just don't know if I can look at them…I've been able to face them because… because they didn't know. How can I now?"

Derek came and sat on the bed. He found it odd that Alex hadn't retreated and Hyde had yet to come forward. Then again he could see that Alex wanted to be strong…and Hyde respected that. He held Alex in his arms and closed his eyes. Often there was nothing that he could say. All he could do was this…show Alex that he would always have him. Derek was devoted to him; they were all each other had.

Alex closed his eyes and smiled as Derek held him. Sometimes he felt as though he were a horrible older brother. Derek was always the one supporting him. Derek would remind him that he had given his brother a home. Alex didn't think that was fair… he only provided material things to Derek. Derek gave him hope and comfort, those types of things couldn't be measured.

Derek new well enough what was probably going on in Alex's head. He just held him. This was a chance to start their lives over. However he couldn't help but think it was already too late for them. There was a good chance that the younger ones would be able to put their horrible past behind them and live happily with their parents. However… for the older ones he couldn't help but think that the scars were already too deep to be healed.

Outside of the bed chambers there was a silent breakfast going on. The team members had decided to spend their day with their children and leave their two 'leaders' alone after what they learned yesterday.

The two sat at the table in silence as they ate. Neither one looked at the other as they tried not to think about what they learned about yesterday. Finally it seemed as if one of them could not take it any longer as Clark slowly set aside his breakfast "I…I can't believe that I'm capable of such…" He shook his head, as if he couldn't say the word but forced it out anyways "Cruelty."

Bruce looked up and frowned, he could see the true distress on Clark's face. "It's reasonable that you would be upset. But now that we've been warned I doubt that those things will come to pass." He wanted to dismiss this right away and return to thinking about something else…anything else.

Clark frowned and narrowed his eyes at Bruce "What do you mean? You don't think that we'll have them?"

Bruce sighed slowly and looked up at Clark seriously "It sounds as though Alex's birth was a largely an accident…there is still a chance that the situation will occur again and… if it does we are better prepared to deal with it."

There was silence again before Bruce said quietly "You don't want Alex do you?"

He really didn't want to get into this right now; he didn't want to talk about it at all if possible. Then thinking of that he realized that was the part he had played in Alex's past. Alex grew up with a father who never wanted to talk. He sighed and his dark eyes looked up to lock with Clark's bright blue ones. "I never said that." It came out much harsher than he wanted but he meant it.

Clark raised his brow at this strong response. He had thought that Bruce wouldn't want children…but…maybe meeting Alex changed that.

Bruce refused to lift his eyes because he was almost certain of the look that Clark was giving him right now. After meeting Alex and hearing what he had gone through…he was proud to call him his son. He decided that if Clark was going to prod at him he should return the "What about Derek?" He didn't need to say how Derek came about.

Clark's eyes widened at the direct hit and he withdrew for a moment before saying softly "I don't think it was fair to raise a child for such a petty reason…perhaps…he would get a second chance if we had more than one?"

Now it was Bruce's turn to be shocked and he looked up at Clark "What are you saying? What about Lois?"

Clark shook his head "I can see now that she was all part of a dream to be normal…and seeing the result of that? I…I just don't see why it was so important anymore."

Silence reigned again as they both contemplated what they were thinking. Would they really build a life together? How could they not after meeting the two wonderful and impressive children they had had?

They both seemed to be willing to set the topic aside for the moment, but the seed had certainly been planted.

Back in his room John was looking down at his son. His face which was usually expressionless was filled with shock and sadness. "You are certain…?" He asked softly. He had been so overjoyed to find that he had a second child…it had hurt so much to lose his family…and now he knew that he could not have that second chance again.

Brian stood and comforted his father by putting his hands on his father's cheeks "I know this…I …I lied to myself for a long time about it…but It…it's for the best."

John closed his red eyes as we were filled with pain and Brian revealed the rest of his childhood. His mother had tried her best to accept him. He never knew what happened to his father; he had disappeared while his mother was pregnant and had hidden his true form from her. She never had the warning for when he was born that her child would be so strange.

She had tried to take care of him, she had tried to love him but she just couldn't. She found John's old friends and left him in the care of Diana. She had not been a horrible woman, just a human who was not prepared.

John tried to deal with the pain that was coursing though him but was comforted by the feelings that Brian was sharing with him. He soon was calm again and opened his eyes to see the pain in Brian's own pain filled eyes. He smiled softly, he had not been involved with the raising of this child…but he had the rest of their lives together. He embraced him and held him tightly "It will be alright…" He knew now what could prevent that whole future.

It was so easy to understand with this last piece of the puzzle. When a woman panicked after giving birth to a green child she had tried to remain calm. However the doctors helping her with the birth reported the incident. No father appeared and the mother's fear of her own child put the thought into the minds of the doctor that she had been raped. When word of this reached some of the political enemies of the Justice League they created a blazing fear of the superheroes that slowly cost each of them their lives and their families.

Brian had his suspicions for years what had triggered the government's fear of the superheroes but now he was certain. He held his father tightly; he would still continue to exist. That was the promise that the mysterious woman had given him. Besides that he would be with his father who would have a second chance to enjoy having a child of his own again.

With this acceptance they called a meeting and informed the league that they had discovered and prevented the 'trigger'. They felt no need to share exactly what had taken place. The younger ones were oblivious and shouted with joy as they embraced their parents. Now they had a second chance at life. They would be able to grow with their parents, they would get to be around for the lives that they should have had as alternate versions of themselves were born.

Derek and Alex knew from what Brian had told them before of his suspicions what he had shared with his father. Alex realized that if Brian could put an end to his own alternate existence than perhaps he could give his fathers a second chance. Derek was willing to follow Alex's lead even though he had some reservations with his own farther for Alex he was willing to try.

That night they sat around the table and shared dinner. They were once again families, not strangers from other times but families fully again.

Alexander and Derek both noticed the interest that had seemed to have arisen between their fathers. They exchanged secret glances but said nothing as they enjoyed their meal. They were finally at peace with the future that had torn them apart. It was no longer a threat to them.

Thanks you guys all so much! I have been toying with the idea of an Epilogue it's not something that I normally do so let me know if you would like one or not! Thank you again so much this has been one of my most treasured creations!


	9. Epilogue

Thank you all so much for your wonderful support for this story! I don't usually do epilogues but it seemed you guys wanted one. I think this might be a bit of a fluff piece but maybe that's what this story needs after all the drama! Thanks again for your support and I hope that you enjoy it!

Alexander groaned as the light from the large window leaked its way across the bed. He tried to bury his head under the covers but was disappointed when there seemed to be a shoulder in his way. His eyes slowly opened as he decided that he should get up anyways. It was already past when he was usually awake and he only had a certain green eyed man to blame for that.

Next to him on the bed lay another form that cracked a smile and murmured softly "Your thoughts are not exactly quiet in the morning beloved."

Alex laughed and swung his arm around and pulled his lover towards him "I did that on purpose." He smiled before sitting up and stretching "Time to get ready for the day! I'm sure the kids will be up soon."

Less gracefully Brian rose as well and watched as his personal Adonis wander into the bathroom. He smiled lazily as he watched that nicely formed body from the back. He was impressed at his lover's strength to get up so early even after all they did last night. He supposed that's what he got for being with a superman.

He stood and began to prepare for the day as well, though he took his time. Alex was very efficient in his morning preparation and would be out soon. Just as he thought Alex came back out his hair was lightly damp and his eyes were smiling as he looked over Brian's lovely green body "I'd ask for you to have joined me in the shower but after last night…"

Brian smiled proudly as he said "I realized…"

Alex laughed and swung his arms around Brian and pulled him in for a kiss "Let's get dressed; I'm sure the miscreants are going to be awake soon."

Brian smiled and nodded "Yes we should move quickly."

They were currently living in Wayne Manor. The newspapers had created many marvelous stories about what had caused for two boys to move in with the Bruce Wayne. Of course no one would make direct statements fearing, rightfully so, for their jobs. So the speculation had continued and soon it passed out of the minds of reporters. They had even digressed when Bruce had been seen around town with a certain reporter. At least until a set of twins arrived into their lives.

Aden and Daniel were two mysterious but joyful figures to the press. They assumed that it was the result of some romantic tryst before the infamous playboy had settled down with his partner. After all Daniel looked so much like his father with his dark hair and dark eyes. Aden was also a charmer to the press with bright blue eyes and blond hair. Their pasts were quickly taken out of the news as Wayne threatened to prosecute, which in turn prompted the reporters to simply settle for fawning over the boys instead. This was fine.

Alex was making breakfast in the kitchen when Daniel made himself known. He peered slowly around the corner and smiled brightly when he saw his favorite oldest 'cousin'. "Alex!" He shouted happily as he charged forward at super speed and clutched at Alex's legs.

Alex had braced for the charge and so the hot eggs remained safe in the pain as he turned with a smile down at the little boy. "Hello there…ready for breakfast? Is your brother up?"

Daniel was a little more reserved than his younger twin and nodded "Yeah…he's awake." The four year old was shy even to those closest to him but was very kind and sweet.

He helped Alex with breakfast until Brian came in with his long green hair braided down his back. The little boy rushed to him and laughed happily as he was picked up and swung around. The noise seemed to attract the other occupants of the house.

Aden came charging in with a devilish look in his eyes as he asked happily "Is breakfast ready yet?" He looked at Alexander impatiently as he buzzed around looking at the different foods his cousin had prepared.

Derek wandered in his hair was a mess as it fell about his ears and he yawned as he walked in a zombie like fashion towards the coffee pot "When do they move out again?" He asked with a teasing look towards Aden.

Aden growled and stole the cup away from him as he said "That's not nice! You have to be nice to us because we're your little cousins!"

Putting on his 'evil villain face' Derek stalked forward and said "There won't be anyone left alive to be nice _to_ if you don't give me my coffee cup back."

Alex simply shook his head at their antics as he said "Places! Breakfast is ready!" At his command the children (both young and older) quickly took their seats at the table. As easy going as Alex was everyone knew that when he cooked a meal he expected them on their best behavior. Those who did not comply…did not get fed.

Alex setup the breakfast and watched happily as his family dug in. He watched the two twins closely and could feel tears in his eyes. They were his second chance. They were such a blessing and he didn't know what he would do without them.

_You would live…you would survive _said a familiar voice in the back of his mind. He smiled to himself as he turned to get the tea ready. Hyde had calmed down a lot over the years. He could still come out, that they knew from when some crazy fan had threatened the twins. He was just as temperamental as ever, however now that insanity was directed against those who meant his family harm instead of the family itself.

He brought the tea over and saw Brian watching him closely. His lover could always tell when Hyde was being active. The two of them were very protective of him and he wondered if they even realized they were more often on the same side than not.

Hyde had been his protector as a child. Now it was Brian who protected him, even though he led team and Derek as his second watched his back. It was Brian who would hold him in his arms at night as he cried as memories and nightmares haunted him.

He looked at the clock and thought that if his fathers wanted any breakfast that they should start getting up soon.

In the Master Bedroom at Wayne Manor there was a groan as the curtains were pulled aside and light came pouring in. Clark smiled down at Bruce as the man turned violently away from the light. He chuckled and crawled across the bed towards him "I can smell the lovely breakfast that is most likely being devoured…"

Bruce opened one eye lazily and groaned "If you want food go get it… I'm staying in bed."

Clark shook his head with a laugh ad he kissed down the expanse of Bruce's chest "Now now…" He said softly as he licked his way back up to Bruce's neck "We don't' want Alex to think his food went to waste do we?"

Bruce narrowed his open eye at him and growled "You know as well as I do there won't be any food left to waste."

He decided to try a new tactic and bit down very gently on a very special section of Bruce's neck getting a loud moan out of him. "Please? I'll make it worth your while…"

Bruce laughed and finally sat up in the bed "That is a false offer because you'll do that anyways…"

Clark shrugged shamelessly "That might be true but I would still like to have breakfast with the family."

Finally deciding that he would never win against that argument Bruce sat up and began looking for his clothes. He noticed with a grouse that Clark was already decent for eating with the family and his current state of disarray was due to him. "Let's get going then…"

They entered the dining room and were pleased to note that there was still plenty of food leftover for them. Alex had saved them a spot at the ends of the table and began pouring up their black coffees. "Seems like you've finally decided to join us."

The twins looked up and rambunctiously waved at their parents before turning back to their food. It would be a shame for Alex's food to go to waste so it was eaten with diligent care.

As Clark took his spot at the end of the table Bruce took a moment to look over his family. Alex was always busy in the kitchen. He had gone to culinary school and could work anywhere he wanted. However he was the happiest cooking for his family in Wayne Manor and Bruce was more than happy to keep him as his 'personal chief.' He got paid very well though of course that was more out of respect than Alex's need for money.

His attention turned to Derek who had also gone to school, he had been a bit undecided at first but he had settled with History. He was currently going to grad school and his goal was a doctorate with a focus on the Roman Empire. He worked part time at a museum but shared Alex's desire to be around the family.

He sat down and began to eat expecting John to drop in any moment. In fact Alex had a place prepared for him as well and true to form the door bell rang and Alex ran to get it. When Alfred had passed away Bruce had been at a loss on who he should hire to assist him. However both Derek and Alex had shared that they didn't want servants to be around and that they should simply live as a normal family. Due to the size of the manor there were still maids that came by but they did not live at the manor.

Alex came back in with a shy John behind him. No matter how many times he came by in his disguised human form John always seemed to be a little shy about coming by. He would come because Brian had moved in to be with Alex and the father and son were very close.

Bruce watched him as he smiled at the boys and began to eat. He should just ask him to move in as well, it wasn't as if they had no room. He decided to talk to him after breakfast about it. That would give him a chance to be around Brian more and there was no harm in him living with them.

Brian had become a writer and wrote long and complex fantasy novels that were internationally successful. He had gotten back from a tour book signing across the country last night. That explained the obvious but delightful looks of weariness that both boys wore today.

He was going through the mail and smiled when he saw a couple of post cards for them from Theodora who was currently traveling around the world as a photographer.

Tiffany was currently a model which her mother had not at first been very impressed with. However when she had done work on a photo shoot for woman's rights the art aspect of it changed her mind.

Miriam was still attending college and was currently exploring art but was interested in so many things that it was hard for her to decide. Diana was more than willing to pay for a few extra years to make sure that her daughter was happy.

She and Wally had an interesting marriage to say the least but both of them were very happy with each other. They and the other happy couple, Shayera and John, came by to have dinner with them every Sunday.

It was a new life and they were all happy. The Team that Alex had led to the past still upheld what they thought was their duty to fight against criminals, though they never let it consume their lives. They had also slowly began only interfering in very important cases that they were invited to help with. It was a good life, it was a new start. They were right where they belonged.

I think this is the fluffiest thing that I've ever written (the epilogue not the whole story!) But I think it was perfect for this story. I hope that you guys have enjoyed the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!


End file.
